Clear Shining After Rain
by Mariel Gullwhacker
Summary: (Permanent Hiatus) Set some seasons after The Bellmaker. Castle Floret is captured by foxes (again) and Queen Amethyst and her daughter Dido have to escape - without King Truffen. Meanwhile, Limmissa Duranad, the Queen fox, is dying...
1. The Queen Is Dead: Long Live The Queen

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Clear Shining After Rain - Chapter I

Springrain Streambattle watched the foaming current wash past. The gale did it's best to throw her over the high cliff, but to no avail. She shivered suddenly. Could she … 

"No worries, King Truffen, Queen Amethyst, Dido. I'll get you out of there somehow. Count on yours truly."

Springrain was the daughter of Rab and Iris Streambattle. She was a tall young otter with sand-coloured fur and brown eyes, which never showed her feelings. She was a warrior in every way. Springrain drew her dagger. It was war!

"Mama, send the nasty stoats away," wailed Dido. She was a young squirrelbabe, unused to vermin.

"If only I could, Dido," sighed Queen Amethyst. "If only I could."

Lousefur stabbed at her with the butt end of his spear. "Quiet there, or I'll use the other end on the babe. I'm _sure_ you wouldn't want such a young creature injured," he sneered.

Amethyst's eyes flashed, but she kept her silence. A tall, graceful young foxmaid tiptoed past.

Limmissa Duranad was close to death.

Ariana, her eldest daughter, knelt by her bed. Maliena, the youngest of the five foxchildren, paced the room. She had loved her mother dearly.

Sassan, the second, tripped her to relieve his feelings. The third and fourth, Damden and Searenis respectively, sniggered.

Springrain flung her dagger hard. It sank deep into the crack, and she smiled. Queen Amethyst glanced out. The escape was on!

A/N: Like it? Really? Disclaimer: Standard.

One last rattling gasp emitted from the dying foxqueen. Maliena tightened her jaw instinctively.

Limmissa Duranad was dead.

Slobberjaw set up a great cry. "Limmissa Duranad is dead! Queen Limmissa has gone to Dark Forest! Hail High Queen Ariana!"

"Hail!" repeated her siblings.

Ariana made a delicate moue. "What can I say, my loyal army? I accept!"

Sassan hailed her again, and then spoke. "And what is to become of your beloved brothers and sisters, O Queen? Surely you would not abandon us!"

"Oh, certainly not! We shall have treasure! We shall march upon Salamandastron and defeat them! Then we shall have all their gold and jewels forever more!"

Damden was astounded. "But what about these troublesome Southswarders? They are troublesome subjects!"

Ariana smiled like a cat with a mouse. "But of course, they need governing. I will stay here and rule them. I leave all the glory to you, my siblings!"

Searenis was denser than her brothers and sisters. "Of course, O Queen! Glory and honour are wonderful things, and we shall have the taste of victory all the way!"

Damden kicked her. "Idiot fox! Can't you see what she wants? Us dead, that's what!"

Ariana looked shocked. "Why, no! I would not do that to my own flesh and blood! And after all, you would take an army with you. There are so many easier ways to kill you, so I would naturally use them!"

A/N: I believe I did the disclaimer before.

Springrain climbed the stone wall, her natural agility coming into play.

"Should - have - been - a - flippin' - _squirrel_!"

As she gritted out the last word, she vaulted over the windowsill into the cell.

"Come on, out."

Queen Amethyst looked anxiously at the tall otter. "But Dido can't climb down that far."

Springrain shook her head. "Neither can you, mate. Mind you, I probably won't either. But I didn't struggle up here because I can't climb. I could beat you or Truffen in a climb any day of the week. I brought a lovely long rope with me, just blending in with my fur. See?"

She uncoiled the rope and motioned Dido forwards. "All your Dido's got to do is hold on to it, and we'll let her down, nice and easy, to a very good friend of mine."

"Who?" asked Queen Amethyst.

"Maisie Springback. Don't worry - she's a good little girl. Well - she's older than I am, so I suppose 'little girl' isn't quite right. But then, who likes to be described that way?"

A/N: Those of you who are familiar with the Katy books by Susan Coolidge may recognise the title - Chapter Seventeen, _What Katy Did Next_.

Springrain is my otter character, Sorrel is my squirrel character, and Carrie is my hare character - help! I'm being smothered in characters!

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Mariel Gullwhacker.


	2. She Who Dares Wins

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Clear Shining After Rain - Chapter II

A/N: I think I'll just go shoot myself. You won't blame me, I'm sure. I have at least three series fics going on.

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A Living Rose

Last of the Line

Love In the Light

Clear Shining After Rain

They're just the ones I've started posting/writing. I haven't been able to start the next part for Living/Love because I've been tied up writing:

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Riffen Reguba - One lone squirrel stands against the mighty Morgarians. He can't survive, even if he _is_ a Reguba, with three friends behind him. Or can he?

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Hotspur - Once the tribe of squirrel warriors known as Drey Hotspur were the greatest fighters in the whole of Southsward. Now they are no more, for Drithure the Death, a blood-drinking pine marten, has had them all murdered by his Joykillers. Wait - did I say all?

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Survivor - Alternate Reality. Martin was killed in the duel with Badrang, but Rose survived. What will she do now?

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These Are The Days of Ungatt Trunn - A _Lord Brocktree_ fic - or rather, fics. Several different creatures from the book have a separate tale to tell. Many are of cruelty inflicted by the Earth Shaker, but one stands alone…that of Ungatt Trunn himself.

Not counting, of course, those that I'm planning…but I won't go into that right now.

This must be my weirdest author's note in creation - or carnation, as the Rabblehogs would say. Oh, well - spoilers for the Bellmaker!

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Springrain lifted Queen Amethyst down from the rope. Even though the squirrelqueen wasn't old, she was bound in chains. Dido, however, was not, and Springrain made the most of the advantage. She whispered something to Maisie Springback, who gave her agreement soberly.

"Queen Amethyst, quickly, so that we can take the chains away. Spring'll follow with your babe, don't worry."

Springrain nodded. "No worries, friend. Why, we'll probably be back before you are!"

Maisie nodded encouragingly. "Come on, Amethyst. Spring's right, they'll be back before us if we don't get a move on."

"Why shouldn't they?" asked Amethyst, hobbling along. Maisie was suddenly very interested in a daisy that had pinkish petals.

*

Springrain wasted no time. She raced along to the camp and deposited the squirrelbabe in the arms of Skipper. She knew trouble was coming.

She carried nothing but a short dirk, which had often seen her out of trouble. Springrain merely ran out on to the windowsill of Limmissa Duranad's old room and she was surrounded.

"Put up that dagger."

"What dagger?" Springrain looked puzzled, although inwardly she was seething. Didn't he _know_ his weaponry?

"The dagger you're holding."

"Sorry, I hold no dagger."

"Your weapon then, stoopid!"

"Stupid? Who you callin' stupid? I could give you spades and aces and _still_ beat you hands down in the intelligence department."

"Quiet, you stoopid otter!"

"I told you, I'm not stupid. I may be an otter, but I'm not stupid." Springrain knew that the banter was keeping her alive, so she kept playing.

"Uh-uh. In no circumstances are you taking my pretty little dirk."

"Dirk? Whaddya mean? Nah, don't be so thick."

"Thick. It's not a word I'm acquainted with, I'm afraid."

Springrain played as well as any hare. Speaking light words, she kept light physically as well. It was a game of tag, and anyone could lose…their life.

She decided that she'd just have to make a break for it. She wrong-footed the rat, and dashed down the passageway…straight into Queen Ariana.

"Er - I'm s-sorry, your Majesty?" stammered Springrain, hoping desperately that she would be mistaken for vermin of some kind.

No chance.

"Stop! Impostor! Stop that otter!" shrieked Ariana, rushing as fast as she could in the opposite direction. "Stop the otter!"

Springrain dashed off down a passage to the right. She was well acquainted with the castle, and she remembered vaguely that there was a brilliant hiding place around there.

She remembered correctly. Springrain glanced sideways, and saw a troupe of stoats coming from the left. She looked the other way and recognised a collection of weasels. As her wide eyes took in the urgency of the situation, she heard footsteps behind her. Without looking back, Springrain threw herself into the tiny room in front and stared desperately around for the hidden cloister.

There was a loud banging noise and the door burst open. She dived behind the old couch, dust rising up and almost choking her.

"Where's she gone?"

"Vanished! Mebbe she's magic!"

"My ole ma said that otters were magic an' all, s'well as badgers!"

"Nah, that's only in water. Only otters can disappear in water!"

"Yore ole ma musta been dicked in the nob. She's gotta be hidin' someplace, that's all!"

"But _where_?"

That was the question that was puzzling them all. Suddenly Springrain couldn't hold her breath any longer.

"_Atchoo_!"

Immediately, the vermin were milling about the room, searching every nook and cranny. But Springrain was long gone. When she had sneezed, she had hit her head against a knob and found herself in a secret passage, which closed up again an instant later. The ottermaid crawled down through the cobwebbed tunnel until she felt her paws getting wet.

"What the - "

Then she understood. Water would come up the tunnel at high tide, and go down again. It was an otter escape route from the castle in times of trouble, for at high tide, none but an otter or a fish would be able to swim underwater all that way. And just Springrain's luck - the tide was turning as she crouched there. As the water came rushing up to her, filling the passage, she took a deep breath and dived under. Into the icy, aquamarine depths of the river.


End file.
